Automatic firearm



Aug. 7, 1923. 1,464,276 G. vlNoN AUTOMATIC FIREARM Filed April 25 1925 gasfin/a '/z'nan/ Patented Aug. 1923.

@errno SITES PATENT i F F E Gt'rsTAvo vINoN, or TURIN, ITALY;

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

Application led April 23, 1923. Serial No. 634,071.

To all l'wko-m t may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVO VINQON, a subject of lthe King of Italy, vresiding at Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy, have invented certain new and useful Impro-velmentsy in Automatic Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

*':Thepresent invention has for its object a pneumatic retarding device for automatic y.firearms by the aid lof which the'speed ait vwhich the weapon is fired can be varied within wide limits.

The device whichvforms the subject matter of thev invention is essentially characterized 'by ia gripper or other deviceV `for holding the `strikerpi'voted to a piston working in al cyl-V inder4 the base of which has ports in it (controlledfby a needle or other valve operated from outside) which regulates 'the admission 'of the air to the chamber of the cylinv der duringthe suction stroke of the piston,

which stroke is produced by the springof the striker. An automatic valve permits the vescape ofthe air contained .in the chamber of the cylinder during the. compression stroke of the.. piston, which stroke' is' produced by the striker in its final recoil stroke. The jaws of the gripperare also subjected to thel action "of .a spring. which tends. constantly to open' them and to the action of externalk guides which vkeep them closedl so as i toretaintheheadof the striker during the stroke ofthe piston.y A front chamber per'- mits :of the opening of the jaws of thel gripper at-"the end ofthe forward stroke.

It is .obvious that by opening more or lessA the ports by which the cylinder communicates with the outer airlby'the aid of'a suitable controlling'device, the air will-be allowed to enter more or less rapidlyv into the interior of the cylinder and the striker will be allowed to advance more Ior less slowly until kthe guides of the gripper permitI it to open and the strikerto pursue its forv ward course under the action of its own springg f j -The'accompanyin'g dra-wing shows by Way of 'example'a constructional form of the deviceforming the subject matter of the invention applied to a. machinev gun.

' Figure 1 is 'an axial section .of the rear part'of the weapon, the striker being held by v the gripper and being shown in its position of maximum recoil. t

In Figure?l 'is shown a view simllar to Figure 1, but with the striker d1sconnected from'thegripper and shown at thefmo'ment when it accomplishes its operative forward movement.

f 1 is the frame of the part 1 of which is screwed axially a part 1 provided internally ywith the guides 12 which compel the gripper to close, and with va front chamber 13 which allows the gripper to open and release the striker afterl having acconriplished4 a portion of its stroke forwards, during which stroke thebgripper holds the striken, 'f

weapon to the rear 11V On the part 1 is screwed or iixedvin any other manner, ,the'cylinder 8, thewbase'of which is provided with ports 19 lfor the admlssion of air controlled by the needle valve j 20. In the cylinder 8 there .operatesa pis- ,tpn 7 which is providedy with a stirrup or the l1ke7 carrying apivot 9 on whichv are pivoted the ja-ws'l'O lofthe gripper, which jaws are subjected to the action of va spring ,11, which tendsconstantly to open them. To ,the stirrup 7 isXed a: cross piece 21 arranged between the ends of the jaws of the gripper l(so as to permit this latter to close V.on the head of thestriker), the said cross piece being vintended toy receive the blowof 'the striker headf'wh'enthe striker recoils,

and consequently to carryvtlie piston with the grip-per to the rear. j

2 is the breech block of theweapon andS fis' the safety." device for the 'striker' which j prevents the head of. the striker from-penetrating v'into the barrel receiving the car,-

block if this is not tridgeg from the breech :completelyy closed.

4 is the striker proper pro-vided atV the y* 'rear with a head 4 ofsuch a shape and di.-

lmensions thatiten'ygages with the jaw'sl() 'of-'the gripper of the retarding device.

'i ,The piston? vis provided with an Vexhaust valve 'for air (formed by holes 15 agfrlinst which bearsthering- 16v 'subjected tothe l `ThepoitslSin the cylinder serveto reestablish atmospheric. pressure in the chamber 1??, when the gripper iny its lforwird movement penetrates into the cli-amber 13.

and Opens and releases the striker.

nient, hits against andv carries with it the cross piece 2l secured to the piston 7- (while the gripper with itssjaws open is in the lchamber 13) thus effecting the 'backward v movementof'the piston. vThe jaws 'AlO'of s the gripper' then close and seize thev hea-d 4 onthe striker whensziid jews pass over the regulated as is mentioned abovebyfL the d'e.-A

, gree or opening ofthe ports 19 for the part lof its stroke during which. the jews 1001r the i gripper-y are! held closed .by the gUideslQ, As'

soonas"the"gripper :is brought intoutli'e` chamber '13, the jews l0 openfse'e Figure 2) `sind the striker can freelyA execute its forward movement. 'i

" The device Vforming the subject-metter of the present invention is ofsmzi'lldim'ensions; 'f

'It lperii'iits the speed ntf whichtheweepo'n is i lred being'v-:Lried within' wide limit s,`is

of verysimple construction andfoi'ers greet, ysecurity of working.l 'In the caseof' deterieration of `the device itcan be' immec'liate'ly remoyed'by unscrewing the cylinder@ andwithdrawing the piston from it, the Weapon' remeining'elw'eys ready yfor action, rIclaimh es my invention:'-v 1.1 A; pneumatic retarding device-fiorenother device for ,f gripping or holding fthe striker, p'ivoted 'to a' piston wo'rkinj,f *in acyl,-y Vinder, tlie'base of which; is provided withr ports controlled `'bye needle or other velvef operated from outside and servingtoregu! I piston, which 'stroke .isprodiiced by/'thel spring of. thestriker, van' automatic-valve `l'zitetlie admission of air to the chamber ofI the cylinder '.during the 'suction stroke ,of the permitting the esczipeio the aincontained in the striker andthe..pistonkworking in the .the chamber ofthe 'cylinder produced by the 'striker in l itsfinzil recoilmoyeinent, thejew's of the v gripper being' s ii bj ected toA the action of o spring ywhich tends rconstantly 'to open tlfe'rear.t vAt the moment of fining gtliefstriker-reacoils (with the vbreech block and the part 3) and, towards the end of its. recoil `movel as to permit fiile eletti-timmer "tile lug ofthe striker, the said. cross piece vre- A c eiving tlielblowof the striker on recoiling and permitting tomatieiire arms, comprising ecylinder, a.

piston working therein, means for effecting e controlled l:idmission of `eirto the cylinder Y vair 'from behind to iniifront ofthepistonyfa Y behind' thepiston, means for exhausting the vhe piston to b e carried tov striker,.a detent carried'bylthe 'pistonfor l engeM nentl with thestriker, means formitomaticzilly effecting suchyengagement"at' a.

predetermined I point inv the recoil :stroke ,of the striker to ceiisea movement of the Aletter uid the piston s unitdiiring' the remainder vo 'f' sil-id stroke, afspringffor-,effecting the'tir- Astroke ofthe, .striker .and` for. -moifing the `piston .forward with thevstriker, f

andi means ior l @automatically ,disengaging the detent et 'a predetermined-point in seid iringstroke to enable' the striker to complete 5 thev stroke -filone,` substant-ielly. s id e'scribed.` i In eautomaticirermQtherombingc tion', with ai recoil-operated striker ,andi ,a4

spring'ior e-fecting` theyiringI stroke'f theneof,

,ofavpist'on associated with-the striker-,ineens for' automatically coupling the', pistonlnnd y striker together-,fior moyementrasunitafter i the striker has'commence'd'its recoil Istroke. a,- pnei'imatic deviceessocited. with the Piston Y for vedi"iistebly ret'erding its move-nient 'with the f strik ,enable it ,to completethei Strokew lalone. l

autorxiatie fire ermQft-he bombinai 'o tion, ai recoilbperatedstriker 'and a ,Springfor fifecting" the stroke; thereof, j

fof' :if cylinder,r af-piston; Workingv therein, s Ineans fnzutemetwlly,ouplng',thlpiston: f

and strikertogether. for yinoyement:as. fa; unit oli-lair tothe cylinder behind the pistonpto :id-j ust'ably f retard the ,ik speed A of pistonv and striker duringftlie initial' l,portion- .of the j firing fstrokeof the striker, 'mensllfor automatically" Vnncoupling. the ,striker er during theginitilfportionof its ,gffstlekeneedlmeans for wwmticlly v,r1-9" f 'viincoiiplin g v the v from, the J pistonffatf a (predetermined point insaidring stroke@ tion, with'afrecoil-operated strikervandfa, Y

Smingoreifecting theringtreke Lrlfr'ebf, of-fe Ipiston, `:i detent carried. bythe piston means for a'utomaticlly closing, said jaws against; the striker at e predetermined paint iny the recoily stroke i ,of the striker .to cause. a, movement oftherletterindfthe piston als@ unit during the'-remainderzof',.sai.dzstroke, f

and means foixetfectingf'an jaitoint'ie4 open- Strokemeins fori rcgulatill-,2'A the:y adniiission ing of the jaws and consequent disengagement of the striker at a predetermined point in its firing stroke to enable said striker to complete the stroke alone.

7. In an automatic fire arm, the combination, with a recoil-operated striker and a spring for electing the firing stroke thereof, of a piston, a detent carried by the piston and comprising a pair of coacting jaws, means for automatically closing said jaws against the striker at a predetermined point in the recoil stroke of the striker to cause a of the movementof the latter and thel piston asa unit duringthe rremainder of said stroke, I

means for effecting' an automatic opening of the jaws and consequent 'disengagement of the striker atv a predetermined point in its firing stroke to enable it to complete the stroke alone,` l and a pneumatic device for adjustably retarding the unitary movement piston and striker during said firing stroke.

In testimony Whereofl. affxmy signature. i l

GUSTAVO VINQO'N.' 5 

